This is a form of assisted debt consolidation that works extremely well if you have a large volume of debt and a less-than-perfect credit score. You enroll in a program through a credit counseling agency, who works out a payment plan that works for your budget. Then they negotiate with your creditors on your behalf to reduce your interest rates. Total monthly payments are typically reduced by 30-50% and most people complete the program within 60 payments or less.
You should take the time to shop around. FICO says there is little to no impact on your credit score for rate shopping as many providers as you’d like in a single shopping period (which can be between 14-30 days, depending upon the version of FICO). So set aside a day and apply to as many as you feel comfortable with to get a sense of who is ready to give you the best terms.
I have my creditors calling me 30 times a day threatening me. And every single one of them told me that it never heard from Clear one advantage when I emailed clear one Advantage for documentation of each time they contacted my creditors, that their website it says “In Negotiations” they have to have some kind of documentation of each time that they called or emailed or mailed something to my creditors and I wanted copies. I received an email back from them saying they didn’t have any documentation.
Compare debt settlement vs. debt consolidation programs as they have differences between the two. One or the other may be a better option for you and your family, and it depends on your personal financial situation. Get information about the pros and cons of these two approaches. Read tips on which option may be the best option for you and your situation. Compare debt settlement and consolidation.

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I have a creditor that has reported my account as a charge off bad debt. Two years ago I had made an agreement with the creditors third party collection agency to pay the bad debt on a monthly basis. I have paid each month on time to the creditor, but they have not reported this, and now my credit score is sinking because of this. Is this right? I have made my payments on time and they refuse to have this changed. I had requested the creditor to please change the repoting, but they have refused. Is this right? By law are they able to do this?
Cons: Specific to National Debt Relief, it is not available in all states, so if you are one of the 16 states it doesn’t operate in, you can’t use it. In generally, there are always risks to debt relief. If you choose debt settlement or bankruptcy, it can affect your credit score. Know the risks before you decide to go forward with any debt relief program.
Debt settlement is a process by which you can greatly reduce or maybe even eliminate the total amount of debt you are currently paying or committed to pay in the future. Solutions are available for various types of accounts, including credit card, medical, and even personal loans. Learn about debt settlement companies as well as the process that is available.

I believe that YOU get to choose what’s right for your life, because you’re the one who lives it. That includes how to get out of debt. On a related note, I hope that everyone gets out of debt, but I recognize that there are people who don’t want to, and that there are people who think debt it is the greatest tool in the world. That’s ok, because they’re not here.

I know they stay on your report for 7 yrs……….but out of all of them while the others of course are on the report as not paid, they are not listed in a separate section that says “in collecions”……the ones that were on the report under the collecions status concern me because I ws sued on two of them……the small claims Calvary was very nice….after they obtained the judgment, I offered thme 300.00 and hey volantrly dismissed the judgment……….do you know how many points affect a credit score with a judgment? Portfollio will never get dime from me…..I offered them 1500 when a cousin offered me a loan and they scoffed………the only thing I have in the bank is my own money however I took out a collateral loan against its is secured……assuming if Portfolio tried to get it, then the bank has first dibs……….
“Clients who are able to stay with the program and get all their debt settled realize approximate savings of 50% before fees, or 30% including our fees, over 24 to 48 months. All claims are based on enrolled debts. Not all debts are eligible for enrollment. Not all clients complete our program for various reasons, including their ability to save sufficient funds. Estimates based on prior results, which will vary based on specific circumstances. We do not guarantee that your debts will be lowered by a specific amount or percentage or that you will be debt-free within a specific period of time. We do not assume consumer debt, make monthly payments to creditors or provide tax, bankruptcy, accounting or legal advice or credit repair services. Not available in all states. Please contact a tax professional to discuss tax consequences of settlement. Please consult with a bankruptcy attorney for more information on bankruptcy. Read and understand all program materials prior to enrollment, including potential adverse impact on credit rating.”
This company works with unsecured debt – typically credit cards – as well as medical debt, private student loans and personal loans. Its debt settlement plans require you to stop paying your creditors and instead make payments into an escrow account set up by National Debt Relief. You control the money in this account. After several months of making installments into this account the settlement firm will begin negotiating with your creditors.

When you start a debt management program, you’re adjusting the payment schedule for your credit cards. So it’s important to note that your creditors may report that you’ve missed a payment on your credit reports in the first month your plan starts. Basically, this happens because there can be a gap between when a payment was supposed to be made on your previous payment schedule and the payments you’re making now.

C.B. I believe what you need is to invest in a financial coach. What you described is not uncommon. Once you find out why you are spending, possibly to fill a void or the ‘I deserve’ mindset, you can stop the unneeded spending. A good coach will also put together a plan to help you get out of debt and reach your financial goals and life goals. If a coach is not something you are willing to look into, please find an accountability partner. Someone who will not accept excuses and will keep you focused. You have the income and the drive to make things happen in your finances… that is HUGE!! Everyone needs a little help now and then. You got this!!!
But it’s more than a method for paying off bills. The debt snowball is designed to help you change how you behave with money so you never go into debt again. It forces you to stay intentional about paying one bill at a time until you’re debt-free. And it gives you power over your debt. When you pay off that first bill and move on to the next, you’ll see that debt is not the boss of your money. You are.

Most reputable credit counselors are non-profit and offer services at local offices, online, or on the phone. If possible, find an organization that offers in-person counseling. Many universities, military bases, credit unions, housing authorities, and branches of the U.S. Cooperative Extension Service operate non-profit credit counseling programs. Your financial institution, local consumer protection agency, and friends and family also may be good sources of information and referrals.

High-interest credit card debt: Credit card debt is revolving debt; you charge as much as you want up to your credit limits and make monthly payments. The average interest rate on credit cards was close to 17% as of July 2018. Because credit card debt provides no benefit and rates are substantially higher than investments typically produce, aggressive early payoff is smart.
There are four other popular options that you could discuss with your creditors. The first is to have your interest rates reduced. If you have high interest debts of, say, 15% or higher and could get them reduced to maybe 12%, you would end up with much lower monthly payments, which could make it possible for you to meet your obligations. A second option worth discussing would be a timeout period of two or three months during which you would no longer be required to make any payments. This would give you time to get your finances reorganized and to save money that might allow you to catch up on your payments. A third possibility would be to have some or all of your credit card debts converted into repayment programs. You would likely be required to give up your credit cards but in turn you would have fixed payments for a fixed amount of time after which you would be completely debt-free.
Afterward, a National Debt Relief specialist will contact you to discuss options and require that you provide proof of your debt balance, income, assets and basic necessity expenses. Any proof that you are struggling with financial hardship needs to be provided during the initial financial review to assess whether a debt settlement program is right for you.
They charge you 18% of all the debt you enroll with them as a fee which means if you owe 15k in debt, you pay them $2700 in fees. But the catch is you pay nothing up front. Your money goes into a savings account monthly but once your first debt is settled, they collect that entire fee from your dedicate savings account. So you then have minimal saved cash available for the next debt that you owe to be settled. So that debt can end up going to a law firm and you get sued.

I’m in this program, can you tell me the dates they gave you that everything would be paid, was your accts pain in full an over with. I’m also needing to know did you get new contracts to sign about your first payment an balances, I’ve got one twice an I feel like if I sign it they’re saying I’m starting all over again, I see my balances going down I’m just confused with this. can you give me any advise, I contacted a lawyer an was told these companies are not legit, I’m just lost at this point not sure what to do lawyers advise was to file bankrupt, don’t want that…..Thanks

It’s crucial that you monitor the statements received from your creditors each month (The creditors will not disclose this information directly to us). You should compare that information to what’s in our monthly progress report and ensure that everything matches. If anything is different between the creditor statement and what we show in our paperwork, give us a call.
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A debt management plan (DMP) is an agreement between a debtor and a creditor that addresses the terms of an outstanding debt.[1] This commonly refers to a personal finance process of individuals addressing high consumer debt. Debt management plans help reduce outstanding, unsecured debts over time to help the debtor regain control of finances. The process can secure a lower overall interest rate, longer repayment terms, or an overall reduction in the debt itself.[2]

If you are overwhelmed by debt, you might consider hiring a debt settlement company to help you. Debt settlement companies negotiate payments with each of your creditors. You then pay a monthly sum to the debt settlement company, who distributes your payment among your creditors. By doing this, you can get out of debt faster. Here’s a breakdown of how the companies compare against each other and other debt relief companies.
Settlement has big risks, though, including steep fees (15% to 20% of what the company is able to save you is typical). You may also sustain damage to your credit score and receive harassing calls from creditors while you’re saving up for the program. You’ll also have to pay taxes on forgiven debt. Most debt settlement companies are for-profit companies, while most debt management companies are nonprofits.
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